Manchester Jewish Museum

About the museum

Manchester Jewish Museum occupies the former Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue on Cheetham Hill Road, completed in 1874 and used for worship until 1984. The Moorish Revival building was listed as Grade II* in 1974. When the Jewish population moved away from Cheetham towards the northern suburbs, the synagogue became redundant, and it reopened as a museum in 1984 to tell the story of Jewish settlement in Manchester over more than 200 years.

The museum collects and archives documents, photographs, oral histories, artworks and objects that relate to Manchester's Jewish history and heritage. A National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £2.89 million in 2017 helped to pay for a redevelopment of about £6 million in 2019 to 2021. The synagogue was repaired and its original nineteenth-century decorative scheme was restored, and a new two-storey extension, designed by Citizens Design Bureau, doubled the size of the museum.

The museum reopened in July 2021 and now has a modern gallery, a learning studio and learning kitchen, a collection store, a vegetarian cafe and a shop. Visitors can see the restored synagogue and the gallery on the stories of Jewish Manchester. The museum describes itself as a place for everybody and runs regular family events, talks and community programmes.

Highlights

• Restored Grade II* listed Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of 1874
• Gallery on the history of Jewish Manchester
• Collection of documents, photographs, oral histories and objects
• Vegetarian kosher-style cafe and Learning Kitchen
• Family activity rucksack for ages 4 to 10

Permanent exhibitions

• Gallery on Jewish Manchester – The permanent gallery tells the stories of Jewish life in Manchester through objects, photographs and oral histories.
• The Synagogue – The restored Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of 1874 with its original decorative scheme.

Founded

1984

Operated by

Manchester Jewish Museum (charity)

Admission & discounts

The listed prices of £12 for adults and £7 for students and young people include an optional £2 donation; the ticket price without it is £10 and £5. All tickets are valid for 12 months as an annual pass. Entry is free for museum members, residents of the M8 postcode area, people receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Job Seeker's Allowance, personal assistants and National Art Pass holders. With Gift Aid the museum receives an extra 25p for every £1 spent. Pre-booking is recommended, but small groups can buy tickets at the welcome desk.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The new building has step-free access to the entrance via a ramp, a lift to the first floor, level access throughout the ground floor and accessible gender-neutral toilets. A wheelchair can be borrowed free of charge and should be booked in advance or requested at the welcome desk. Hearing induction loops are installed in the atrium, the gallery, the learning studio and kitchen and on the ground floor of the synagogue. There is free parking on the streets around the museum, and Blue Badge holders may park for up to three hours on single or double yellow lines if they do not block loading areas.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

A Family Pack Rucksack for ages 4 to 10 can be borrowed at the welcome desk; it contains activity and colouring sheets, scavenger hunts, a magnifying glass and dreidel games. Children under 10 enter free. Regular family events at weekends and during school holidays.

Getting there & parking

There are 8 bicycle spaces at racks at the front of the museum. The entrance can be found with the what3words address pills.legal.dent. A walking guide to historic Jewish buildings on Cheetham Hill Road can be downloaded.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The cafe serves a vegetarian, kosher-style menu and is open from 10am to 4pm, with hot food from 11:30am to 2:30pm; it cannot take advance reservations. The shop in the atrium sells books, gifts and treats related to the collection, Jewish culture and Manchester history. The museum cannot store bags, and large bags are searched at entry.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Spaces including the gallery, the restored synagogue, the learning studio and the Learning Kitchen can be hired, also on Tuesdays when the museum is closed to the public.

Plan your visit